Atlanta Oncology Associates Expansion Efforts Blocked by Northside Hospital

Hospital’s Latest Move Impedes Convenient, Quality Care for Thousands

Patients Wait for Vital Treatments, Must Transfer to Distant Care Centers

Northside Hospital has again blocked an Alpharetta cancer group’s expansion efforts, delaying vital treatments for many patients in need.

The Alpharetta Cancer Center recently received state approval for its Certificate of Need (CON) application to expand its current location, where the group delivers nearly 10,000 cancer treatments per year at a center that is overburdened and over-utilized.

Northside then challenged the approval, forcing an appeals process that could continue for many months and force some patients to wait or travel for vital care that should be available in their community.

The Alpharetta Cancer Center is one of nine radiation therapy centers owned and operated by Atlanta Oncology Associates (AOA).

Dr. Dale McCord, President and CEO of AOA, is not sure why Northside continues to derail his efforts to serve the community’s cancer patients.

“Northside’s motivations are not clear to me,” said Dr. McCord. “What is clear to me is that their actions are not in the best interests of North Fulton’s cancer patients.”

This is not the first time Northside has stood between Alpharetta’s cancer patients and quality care.

In 2003, the Alpharetta Cancer Center requested and received a Letter of Non-Reviewability (LNR) from the Georgia Department of Community Health to expand its office. Northside challenged the LNR and it was subsequently rescinded by the state.

The center then undertook the CON application process, and it was finally approved by the state in January of 2007—a process for expansion which took nearly four years. However, due to Northside’s opposition, the appeals process continues.

CON rules provide for expansion of a facility that delivers over 6,000 treatments per year for two consecutive years. The Alpharetta Cancer Center has delivered more than 6,000 treatments per year since 2001, and delivered between 9,000 and 10,000 treatments in both 2005 and 2006.

CON rules also permit a request for relocation of a facility within three miles in the same county.

“All we want to do is expand our office so we can continue to deliver state-of-the-art cancer care to North Fulton’s cancer patients,” said Dr. McCord. “Northside is again preventing us from doing so.”